Kim Colavito Markesich

At seven years old, Chris Carlin, LCSW, and his three siblings were abandoned by their mother, with no other parent in sight, plunging Chris and his younger brother into a hellish life within the New York foster care system. They endured both physical and emotional abuse, but somehow, Carlin was able to pull himself out of that trauma and dedicate his career to helping kids who struggle. Carlin carries the reader through his painful journey from child, to adolescent and adult, leaving them feeling both horrified and hopeful. 

“Kim writes funny, brilliantly.

 I love her voice. Her writing makes me laugh and cry in the same sentence. She writes straight from the heart.”

- Nancy Slonim Aronie, author of, Writing from the Heart, and creator of, Chilmark Writing Workshop.

"When a writer really cares about his/her subject matter, I believe the reader can tell. This work is the reflection of a writer who really cares and has a personal stake in the lives of her characters. What else makes a story memorable to read?”

- William H. Foster III, retired English professor and author of, Dreaming of a Face Like Ours

"People deal with grief in many ways. This is a brilliant and sensitive way that the author expressed how one processes the pain and sadness when faced with an enormity of loss over a short period of time."

- Holly Hatch LCSW, BCD

"As a child psychiatrist, I regularly see issues the author writes about affecting the mental health of children. I was impressed with the author's ability to describe these difficult subjects in a personal way where other parents could relate. The author has a way of using honesty and humor that touches your heart. The simple, elegant writing makes this an easy read that sticks with you. Truly moving!"